Tap.
The sound of her shoe soles hitting the floor abruptly stopped. Mei froze in place, her breathing unintentionally quickening. But she didn't lose her composure, calmly turning back to ask: "I didn't expect you to be even more cold-blooded than I imagined, fabricating such a lie."
"..."
Kevin offered no explanation, merely standing in silence. His silence caused Mei's heart to sink steadily.
She gradually realized he might not be lying.
Could it be? Was the sudden shift in the Flame-Chasers' attitude towards her truly because of Elysia's death?
An answer seemed to form in her mind, yet Mei remained puzzled. Although she hadn't known Elysia for long, based on her behaviour, she didn't seem like someone who would fall so easily. Moreover, Elysia had saved her when she confronted Aponia.
From any angle, it seemed impossible for her to die so easily, unless...
"In other words, Elysia suddenly 'disappeared,' right?"
Klein had mentioned that the Flame-Chasers in the Elysian Realm existed as memory data constructs. They could only be considered dead under two conditions: either their data was erased, or they left the Elysian Realm. Both scenarios were predicated on their data vanishing.
Thinking in reverse, if disappearing equated to death, could it be possible that her data was merely hidden?
"I know what you're thinking. But the Elysian Realm, as a legacy of civilization, was designed from the outset so that its own data cannot be deleted. Even external administrators can only perform maintenance, not interfere with or hide Flame-Chasers deliberately, let alone the Flame-Chasers themselves."
Kevin added, "Even Sakura merely utilized her unique traits to temporarily overlap her data with the spatial data of the Elysian Realm, achieving a state of concealment."
He was right. Just as a person cannot lift themselves by their own bootstraps, a Flame-Chaser couldn't possibly delete their own data.
But Mei knew very well: just because the Flame-Chasers couldn't do it didn't mean other things couldn't.
She had seen Sakura together with someone from The Obsidian Concord. Yet, after all this time, Klein still couldn't locate Sakura, proving that The Obsidian Concord definitely possessed the ability to conceal themselves.
If Elysia had fallen into the hands of The Obsidian Concord, or if she harbored some unknown secret herself, then orchestrating a 'death' would naturally not be difficult.
Thinking this, Mei couldn't help but recall her first moments entering the Elysian Realm. She was sent there by World Serpent, yet she had accidentally ended up in a blank space. She initially thought it was a programming error, but now, it seemed likely related to the crystal flower given to her by someone from The Obsidian Concord.
Furthermore, if that crystal flower hadn't summoned Elysia, she wouldn't have embarked on the subsequent series of adventures. Therefore, Elysia and The Obsidian Concord must have some connection.
Unfortunately, the exact nature of this connection remained unknown; Elysia had only been vague when asked before. So, rather than believing Elysia was dead, Mei leaned towards the possibility that she had 'disappeared' through some specific method.
"Kevin, do you know of The Obsidian Concord?" she asked suddenly.
"...A name I haven't heard. No such person existed in our era."
"Then have you ever heard Elysia mention that name?"
Shaking his head slightly, Kevin offered no further reply. He raised the greatsword in his hand, looking coldly at Mei. "Although Elysia is dead, we will not violate the promise she made. From now on, you are permitted to explore the Elysian Realm freely, but we will no longer provide you with any assistance.
Whatever intentions you and the faction behind you may have, it would be best not to appear before me again, and certainly do not disrupt the order of the Elysian Realm. Otherwise..."
With a light swing of the greatsword, rolling flames scorched a black line at Mei's feet, a clear warning that crossing this line meant death.
However, Mei completely ignored this level of threat. With her suspicions already forming, she merely gave a cold snort and pushed the door open, leaving directly.
Silence descended upon the grand hall, leaving only Kevin behind.
He stared in the direction Mei had left, remaining silent for a long while before extinguishing the flames on his sword, as if only just remembering.
Just then, the soft sound of footsteps approached from behind him, and Su's figure emerged from the shadows.
"You didn't actually have to act so decisively cruel."
Looking at Kevin's cold and heartless facade, Su sighed helplessly. As Kevin's oldest friend, he knew this frigid man wasn't truly as indifferent as he appeared. On the contrary, his heart burned hotter than many others'.
It was just the Parvati genes within him and Mei's death that had gradually transformed the once cheerful man into his current state.
"This threat was necessary. If we don't push her to her limits, how can she achieve metamorphosis in such a short time?" Sheathing the Judgment of Shamash, Kevin turned to Su. "Besides, you and I both know this crisis is unlike any before. A single moment of carelessness, and everyone will be doomed beyond recovery."
"So you chose to be the villain yourself?"
"She hadn't met me before; her perception of me is primarily based on the Kevin from the outside world. It's most fitting for me to fulfill the agreement."
Seeing Kevin's matter-of-fact expression, Su couldn't help but smile faintly. "Speaking of which, Elysia's request could indeed only be fulfilled by you."
"Hmph, who doesn't know that woman loved doing things like this? Deciding to 'die arbitrarily' herself, yet always asking others to handle her affairs?" Kalpas's figure had also appeared in the hall at some point.
Kevin turned and saw that all the remaining Flame-Chasers were present. Only Pardofelis, huddled within the group, looked lost and confused.
"Boss Kevin, does this mean... you telling me not to go near Sis Mei was just an act?"
Ignoring the slow-witted Pardofelis, Kevin took a deep breath and looked up at the central data core of the hall. Within the core, a pale pink crystal flower slowly rotated. But as it turned, faint black tendrils crept into it, gradually spreading.
"It's not just Raiden Mei; our time is running out too. Let's hope the time Elysia bought us is enough."
As of now, the mirrors representing Mobius, Sakura, Aponia, and Elysia had already shattered. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before all thirteen Flame-Chasers were wiped out.
"By the way, where is Vill-V?"
"Sis Vill-V has always been a lone wolf. The last time I saw her, she borrowed a lot of materials from me, saying she was preparing for a unique magic show," Pardofelis said dejectedly. She was usually the one sourcing goods from others, but Vill-V always managed to 'borrow' things from her under the guise of magic performances.
"It seems Vill-V is the only wild card left. Hopefully, she'll notice the abnormality in the Elysian Realm soon."
...
While the Flame-Chasers discussed their next steps, in a dark, sealed space, a woman wearing a tall, mechanical top hat slowly lifted her head. She looked at the pink-haired girl who had somehow entered her space.
"Elysia? How did you get in here? Isn't this my mindscape?"
"The [Pure Evil] personality..." The [Elysia] who had intruded into the darkness grinned, revealing an unsettling smile.